Flavor of the Lifetime
by Lady Buttercup
Summary: James would ask Lily out, she would say no, he would pine for her and become depressed, she wouldn’t care he would then ask her out again. It was suppose to go on till the day they both died. Now it was changing and Lily didn't know what to think.
1. P: Owl Me

**A/N: Another new story? Yes, yes it's true. This fic is based off of the One-Shot Someday You'll Love Me. I hope you enjoy!**

**Flavor of the Lifetime**

**Prologue**

_Lily,_

_Hey. Well, summer's just started and I just wanted to see if you've done anything amazing yet. Of course, know you, you probably have. It's been pretty boring here at the Potter household. Sirius is still here, though he's looking for a place of his own. I don't think my parents want him to leave. They've sort of adopted him as another son._

_Sirius is telling me that I should invite you over. So here I am, inviting you over. _**Yes you should come over so that we can_-_**_. Sorry about that last sentence, Sirius wrote it, I swear._

_I should probably go. Owl me back._

_Love, James_

_Lily,_

_I never got an owl back from you, maybe you forgot? Or maybe the last letter just didn't reach you._

_Well, school's drawing nearer. We should meet up at Diagon Alley to get our books._

…

_I really don't have a lot to say. I just like owling you. I miss you; of course I'm always missing you, aren't I? I miss everything about you. I miss you're luscious brown-red hair, you're sparkling, emerald green eyes, you're sweet, innocent face. I can't wait till school starts just so I can see you again._

_Sorry, I shouldn't have said half of that stuff, sorry. I just hope this year, our last year, turns out better than past years._

_Love, James_

_Lily,_

_You haven't answered any of my letters. Are you doing it on purpose? I hope not. Maybe you just don't have time with all the studying you do year 'round. I wish you'd answer just one…Oh well. I'll survive._

_I have to go. Mum's taking me and Sirius out someplace, I'm really not sure where._

_Love, James_

_Lily,_

_Don't tell James I'm owling you. He'll kill me. Well, not me owling you, you owling me back. Then he'd kill me. Yeah, so just don't tell him._

_As James has already told you, I'm finding my own place; well actually I've already found it and put gold down on it. You're going to have to help me decorate it. You're a girl; you're good at that kind of stuff. You are a girl right? Ha-ha, just kidding. James wouldn't be obsessed with you if you weren't. Well, he could, but then I couldn't be his friend anymore; it'd be awkward. Okay, I'm done rambling._

_This is not coming from James, just so you know, this part is coming from me; owl him back. Every owl that comes through this place, he hopes it's from you. It's depressing to see his face fall when he realizes it's not. Just owl him, it doesn't have to be a novel, just a short hi and how are you. _

_Uh-oh, James is coming upstairs so I better send this off. And I'm not even going to bother putting owl me on here because I know you will. Haha._

_-Sirius_

_Sirius,_

_You're making me owl him? And you're going to enforce that how? But I will because you'll probably send me a letter with a spell or something._

_So for your house, I'm thinking baby blue walls with pink trimming. What do you think? I think those colors look really good together and they fit your personality so well. I've already bought the paint and everything. Just tell me where and I'll go over there and paint._

_Sorry this isn't a novel. I have homework to do and stuff. I feel like I've disappointed you now, you don't get to read a novel. How depressing..._

_Owl back, because you actually need someone to tell you to do it._

_-Lily_

_Potter,_

_Hi. I just don't feel like owling you. See you at school._

_-Lily_

_Moony,_

_SHE OWLED ME! SHE OWLED ME! SHE OWLED ME!_

_Okay, so it wasn't the longest letter in the world, but she did owl me. She's warming up. I knew she would one day._

_Haha, yeah I just had to tell you. Nothing interesting is really going on here. How's that furry problem of yours? When we get to school I better not see half of your face clawed off…_

_-Prongs_


	2. 1: An Owl Named Lils

**Chapter 1**

Black, unruly hair. Round-rimmed glasses. Height that compels you to look to the sky just so you could see his face. These are common physical attributes that force us to think of James Charles Potter. Heartthrob, prankster, loyal friend, hopeless romantic. Without a personality like that, James wouldn't be James.

When you think of a hopeless romantic, your mind draws pictures of dozens of roses, moonlight walks, picnics on the beach, candlelight dinners. For James, he doesn't need those settings to be a romantic. One word and girls swoon, a single daisy from James is like forty roses to a girl, a simple walk around the lake satisfies any girl. As long as they are near James, they're happy.

But the only problem was-

"Proooooongsssss!"

-James wasn't happy-

"Hold your horses Padfoot! I have to finish this letter!"

-and he would never be-

"Are you writing to Lily again?"

-until Lily was the girl-

"Who else would I be writing to?"

-that fell in love with him.

"You need to get over her," Sirius complained as he barged into the bedroom where James sat, folding a letter.

"Why do you keep saying that? You know I won't. Besides, she sent me a letter back. She's warming up, I tell you," James said, whistling to call his owl. The large, tawny owl landed on James' outstretched arm and he gave it to her to carry. "Give it to Lily, okay Lils?" The owl took flight and flew out of the open window.

"You named your owl Lily?" Sirius asked as his eyebrows rose.

"No!" James exclaimed, a blush creeping up his neck. "I named it Lils," he then muttered. James grabbed his cloak on the bed and walked out of the spacious bedroom.

"You're obsessed James. Get over her. She's not warming up to you," Sirius said as he followed James out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

"I got the owl back in my First Year! I was obsessed back then, but I'm not anymore! I would change the name but she doesn't respond to anything else," James lied.

"Yeah James, that's why you send her an owl every week," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I just want to be sure she's okay; those attacks are becoming more frequent," James retaliated. "Oy Mum! We're ready to go!"

"Then what was that owl about? You just owled her two days ago," Sirius asked.

"She never owled me back about going to Diagon Alley so I was just letting her know that we were going today," James said as he walked into the living room where a large fireplace sat.

"Do you honestly think she's going to come?"

"She might," James said hopefully.

"Or she most likely won't."

"You're such a great friend, Sirius, have I told you that lately?" James said sarcastically as his mother walked into the room looking through her satchel of money.

"Every minute of every day," Sirius smiled. James only glared.

"Okay boys, let's go get your school supplies," Mrs. Potter said cheerfully.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Lily! Jacob and Rebecca are here!" Mrs. Evans screeched up the stairway.

"Just a minute!" Lily yelled back. She swept the brush through her thick, brown-red hair once more and bounded down the stairs.

"What happened to us being the late ones? What happened to Punctual Lily?" one of her friends, Rebecca Godwell joked.

"It's not my fault my alarm clock didn't go off," Lily glared, grabbing her purse off the kitchen table and hurriedly kissing her mum on the cheek. "We'll be back later." Lily ushered her two friends out of the kitchen as quickly as possible, but not before her mum got a word in.

"Don't spend too much! Just the necessities!" Mrs. Evans called out before the door slammed shut.

"What's the hurry for Lil?" her other friend Jacob Fleche asked as they all climbed into his car parked in the driveway.

"Petunia's being really mean this morning. I suspect that she's the one who turned off my alarm. She probably overhead mum talking about me going to Diagon Alley today," Lily said, leaning back on the seat and letting a sigh loose. "She just needs to get over me being a witch."

"Did you tell your mum about her turning off your alarm?" Rebecca asked, twisting in her front seat position to face Lily.

"Yes but she told me the same thing she tells me every time I complain about Petunia sabotaging something of mine," Lily said. She then put on a high-pitched voice, "'Petunia's going through a rough time right now. Think of how you would feel if you found out your sister was a witch.'"

"Stop worrying so much, Lils, she's your sister, you guys will make up one day," Jacob said, glancing at Lily from the rearview mirror. "I personally would kill to have a sister that could do magic."

"Like Courtney would help you if she was a witch," Rebecca scoffed. "You are so lucky that we told you we were witches."

"Yes, very lucky indeed," Jacob rolled his eyes. "I get to chauffeur you guys to strange places and see weird people."

"But we aren't weird, right? We're the normal witches, right?" Rebecca asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh, you are; you're the weirdest of them all."

"Please; you're just jealous that we can turn you into a toad and there's nothing you can do," Lily laughed.

"True, very true indeed," Jacob said, pulling into a parking spot in front of the Leaky Cauldron. "Why does this have to be the entrance to Diagon Alley? Why can't it be some place normal?"

"Jacob, this is normal to us," Rebecca said, climbing out of the car.

"Yeah, just as driving in a hunk of metal everyday is normal to you," Lily laughed.

"Yeah, because a broom is so much better," Jacob said sarcastically. "Let's just get your school stuff and be gone."

"Aw, poor Jacob's scared he's going to get hexed," Lily said in her best baby voice to Rebecca.

"Aw, poor Jacob," Rebecca repeated in the same voice. They both laughed as they looped arms with each other and waltzed into the pub. Jacob was left outside to enter on his own.

"Don't ever do that again," Jacob said through clenched teeth when he finally caught up with them in the back area of the pub.

"Oh yeah, defiantly scared about getting hexed," Rebecca confided to Lily as she whipped out her wand.

"I am not scared about getting hexed!" Jacob exclaimed as Rebecca tapped the appropriate bricks. "That is so weird," Jacob muttered as the doorway revealed cobblestone streets of Diagon Ally.

"You've been seeing it for the past two years, get use to it," Lily laughed as her and Rebecca strolled onto the street.

"There you go again; leaving me!" Jacob exclaimed as he ran up to them and broke them apart. He looped his arms around their waists as he glanced around the shops, grimacing at some of the objects on display.

"Where to first?" Rebecca asked, placing her arm around Jacob's waist; Lily did the same.

"Gringotts for some money!" Lily exclaimed, adding a bounce to her step.

"Isn't that where all the goblins are?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, Jacob, that is where the goblins are," Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well, it can't be worse than floating eyes," Jacob muttered, staring at the Apothecary store.

"If you think that's bad, you should see some of the stuff in our Potions' classroom," Rebecca laughed. Jacob only grimaced and turned slightly green.

-------------------------------------------------

"Padfoot! Padfoot! _Sirius_!" James whispered urgently, grabbing his friends arm in a strong grip. They were both at the Quidditch store looking at brooms while waiting for their other friends Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew when James had seen a familiar head of hair pass by.

"What?" Sirius asked impatiently while sliding his arm out of James' grip.

"Lily's here! I saw her!" James answered excitedly as he rushed out of the store. Once outside, he looked left and right in an attempt to see the red bob again.

"James, give it up," Sirius said, placing his hands on James' shoulders to get him to look at him. "You are crazy and I can't have my best friend being crazy. Okay?" Sirius glanced past James and then looked back at his best friend. "Besides, Lily's with another guy."

"What!"


	3. 2: You Just Want to Snog Me

**Chapter 2**

"Where? What guy?" James asked, turning around to find Lily in the crowded street.

"She's already in Gringotts," Sirius said, letting go of James' shoulders.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's go!" James exclaimed as he started to make his way to the wizards' bank. Sirius stopped him though by grabbing his sleeve.

"I'm not going to let my best friend run in there and make a fool of him self. Come on, I see Remus and Peter." Sirius tugged on James' sleeve and pulled him toward Flourish and Blotts.

"What's wrong with him?" Remus asked when the two had gotten over to them. James was currently trying to get away from Sirius' grip on his shirt to go look for Lily.

"Lily," Sirius said simply. Remus and Peter nodded in understanding.

"He really needs to get over her," Remus told Sirius. "She hates him too much to fall in love with him."

"I've been telling him that all summer. You can try if you want but I'm not telling you it's going to work," Sirius shrugged.

"James, listen to me, it's Remus, one of your best friends," Remus said slowly, walking in front of James to block his view. "You need to get your mind off of Lily. Go out with other girls, use up all of our best pranks on stupid stuff, anything to get your mind off of her. Okay James?"

James stopped struggling but was still looking down the street. A sad look passed over his face. "Yeah Remus."

-------------------------------------------------------

"Why didn't I stay outside?" Jacob asked when they came out of the Gringotts building.

"Because you just love roller coasters," Rebecca laughed.

"Roller coasters, I like, but those things in there I don't."

"I agree with Jacob, the trams in there make me sick," Lily agreed as she counted her money. "I have just enough for all of my supplies and then a little extra."

"Let's go shopping!" Rebecca exclaimed, bounding down the stairs and onto the street.

As Lily and Jacob followed Rebecca down the steps, Lily suddenly stopped. "Uh-oh," she muttered as she looked down the street.

"What?" Jacob asked, also stopping. He tried to follow Lily's gaze down the street but couldn't see anything except tons of people.

"A guy that is obsessed with me is here. I really don't want him to see me, though, with my luck he probably already has," Lily groaned as she continued to look down the street. A brilliant idea suddenly came to her, though. "Pretend to be my boyfriend."

"What?" Jacob asked, staring at Lily in shock. Yeah sure, he went through a stage where he would do anything to be Lily's boyfriend, but that had passed. Now he couldn't even imagine it.

"Come on, just while we're here. Just put your arm around me and, I don't know, kiss me on the cheek on something. Please?" Lily begged, putting on her best puppy dog eyes.

Jacob rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Fine," he said while putting his arm around her waist.

"You're the best Jacob," Lily gushed, standing on her tiptoes and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"I thought I was the one doing the kissing on the cheek?" Jacob thought aloud as they walked down the stairs where they found Rebecca staring at them.

"Finally decided to get together, have you?" Rebecca asked when the reached her.

"Potter's here," Lily explained.

"Really?" Rebecca asked, her face lighting up. "So that means the rest of them are here too, right?"

"Yes," Lily rolled her eyes. "That means Remus' here." Rebecca squealed in reply.

"So how come I've never heard of these guys?" Jacob asked.

"Because you don't need to hear about them and I don't want to hear about them for the rest of this trip," Lily said sternly as she started to walk down the street. Rebecca and Jacob looked at each other before catching up with her.

"So what are you doing to do when you pass them? Just ignore them?" Rebecca asked.

"I've been doing it for the past six years, why stop now?"

"So you really don't like these guys?" Jacob asked.

"No, I like the others, just not Potter. He's been on my Most Hated List since the first time he asked me out," Lily growled.

"Which was?"

"First time he laid eyes on her," Rebecca butted in. "It was so cute," she gushed.

"He didn't even know my name!" Lily exclaimed.

"Ok guys, you can't give me little snippets of the story, I have to hear the whole thing," Jacob butted in.

"When James saw Lily on the train to Hogwarts our First Year, he couldn't speak for almost five minutes and we all thought he was completely mental. Finally, though, he got enough courage to ask Lily out. Granted, we were on the other end of the hallway already so he shouted it for everyone to hear. It was priceless," Rebecca told Jacob.

"Thank you Rebecca, thank you so much for telling him my life story," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"Please, if I were to tell him you're life story we'd be talking for days. And James would be in over half of it," Rebecca laughed.

"What does he do to be in your life so much?" Jacob asked, shocked.

"He asks her out every week!" Rebecca said gleefully.

"Do you enjoy my pain or something?" Lily asked. "Can we please stop talking about him?"

"Yeah, we should stop talking about him," Rebecca said.

"Thank you!" Lily exclaimed.

"Because we're just about to talk to them," Rebecca continued.

"What?" Lily exclaimed, searching the crowd for the familiar head of messy, black hair. When she spotted him she quickly grabbed Jacob's hand and whispered urgently, "Remember you're my boyfriend."

"Oh yes Queen Boss," Jacob laughed, giving her hand a squeeze.

"You are such a nice boyfriend," Lily said sarcastically. Rebecca left the two as she ran ahead and jumped on Sirius' back.

"Hello lover," she said, smiling.

"You're so fat Rebecca, lose some weight already," Sirius grunted, struggling to hold her up.

"You did not just call me fat," Rebecca said, jumping off his back. When Sirius turned around to face her he was met by a glare.

"Rebecca, I was kidding. Can't you take a joke?" Sirius asked, trying to not to smile.

"Sirius, mate, you have a few things to learn about girls. You never, ever call them fat," Remus informed him, slinging his arm around his shoulders. James and Peter were laughing behind him.

"But Rebecca knows I'm kidding, right Rebecca?" Sirius asked again.

"No, I don't," Rebecca said. "Have you seen this pudge I'm carrying around?" she asked, picking the almost non-existent fat on her stomach. "And this?" Rebecca jiggled her arm.

"You're mental," Sirius said, "she's mental. You're not fat Rebecca."

"You're just saying that so you can snog me."

"Well, I can't deny that," Sirius shrugged, a smile forming on his lips.


	4. 3: Just Shag Him Already

**Chapter 3**

When Lily and Jacob reached the four boys and Rebecca, they found Rebecca hanging on Remus' arm with a goofy grin on her face and Remus looking very uncomfortable.

"Jeez Rebecca, you look like you're molesting him," Lily laughed.

"Is it Be Mean to Rebecca Day or something?" Rebecca asked defensively, but letting of Remus' arm.

"I'm sorry Rebecca, you did not look like you were molesting Remus," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you," Rebecca replied.

"Who're you?" James suddenly asked, referring to Jacob.

"Jacob Fleche," Jacob answered, holding out his hand. James stared at it for a second and then looked back at Jacob, ignoring his outstretched hand.

"I've never seen you at Hogwarts before," James said simply.

"I, uh, don't go to Hogwarts," Jacob said as he awkwardly put his hand back at his side. He glanced at Lily, wondering if that was the right thing to say.

"He goes to Drumstrung," Lily said, scooting closer to Jacob.

"He does?" Rebecca asked, confused.

"Yes, Rebecca, he does," Lily confirmed through clenched teeth.

"Right!" Rebecca exclaimed, catching on. "Yeah, that's right, he goes to Drumstrung."

Sirius, Peter, and Remus all raised their eyebrows and looked at each other but just shrugged it off.

"Drumstrung?" James repeated.

"Drumstrung," Lily confirmed, offering no explanation.

"How long have you been together?" James asked.

"Is that really any of your business?" Lily retorted.

"No I guess not, I was just wondering."

"Well if you must know, we've been dating since the beginning of the summer," Lily lied.

"Really? What are you going to do once school starts?" James asked.

"There are such things called owls. We send letters with them."

Watching Lily and James converse was like a tennis match. The on-lookers kept glancing back and forth between the two to see what the other would say. Someone had to stop them though; otherwise they would soon be brawling with fists and not words.

"Hey Lily!" Rebecca exclaimed, jumping into the conversation. "We really should finish our shopping."

"Yeah let's go," Lily said, giving one last glare at James before grabbing Rebecca's hand and dragging her and Jacob away from the four boys.

"Wow," was all Peter could say to break the silence as the four of them watched the retreating backs of the two girls and the boy.

"You've got that right," Remus agreed.

"I didn't know Lily had a boyfriend this whole summer," Sirius muttered to himself.

James just stood there with a blank expression on his face as he stared at Lily's back and where it disappeared into the crowd. His face brightened up though, and a mischievous grin appeared.

"Uh-oh," Sirius, Remus, and Peter all muttered.

"Aurora!" James shouted across the street after seeing a familiar figure with black hair.

-----------------------------------------------------

"He seems," Jacob started, "interesting," thinking that that was the best way to describe James.

"Interesting?" Lily scoffed. "Please, he's the opposite of interesting."

"He's boring?" Rebecca asked. "I don't think he's very boring."

"He's not boring but he's not interesting," Lily said, settling for the medium. "Can we just finish our shopping and go?"

"Yes ma'am," Rebecca said, glancing at Jacob who just shrugged. Rebecca glanced back at the Marauders and saw James talking to a remarkably pretty girl. She saw James lifted a piece of her black hair and whisper something in her ear. The girl giggled and lightly touched his arm.

--------------------------------------------------------

Lily was restless and couldn't sleep. This always happened when she had a lot on her mind. When Lily, Jacob, and Rebecca had gotten back to her house they sat around and watched movies but Jacob eventually went home and her and Rebecca went to bed. While Rebecca fell right to sleep, Lily couldn't get comfortable.

Lily got up from her bed and put on her robe. She opened her creaky door and listened for any noises in the house. When Lily was satisfied that every noise that she heard was normal, she crept down the hall, downstairs, and outside.

The warm night breeze hit Lily as she shut the door. Finding it too warm to be wearing a robe, she shed it and kept it on the stoop as she ventured across her yard to a lone tree at the edge of the property. It was a simple birch tree that seemed to reach to the heavens, at least that's what Lily thought when she was little. Now it was just a tree Lily enjoyed sitting under and thinking. And tonight, she had a lot to think about.

After Rebecca had told Lily about James flirting with another girl, she had had mixed feelings. She knew girls fawned over James, she had witnessed it on several occasions and she had seen James return their flirtatious attempts with smiles, but she had never seen James hit on another girl. His friends had had their shares of girlfriends, Sirius more than the others, but James was never seen with a girl on his arm.

And now he was actually flirting back. It made Lily feel…almost jealous. James would ask her out, Lily would say no, he would pine for her and become depressed, she wouldn't care; he would then ask her out again. It was a cycle and Lily had expected it to be like that for almost the rest of their Hogwarts years. Now it was changing and Lily didn't know what to think.

---------------------------------------------------

_Lily,_

_WHAT THE HELL?_

_I know you don't have a boyfriend, you would've told me, so who was that dope playing one? Yeah, you're my friend but did you have to hurt James like that? Come on Lily, get over your little anger management issues and shag him already, we all know you want to._

_Your loving friend, Sirius_

_Sirius,_

_If you tell him I'll kill you. I am not kidding. You've seen me angry, imagine that times ten._

_-Lily_

_P.S. AND I DO NOT LIKE POTTER!_

_--------------------------------------------------------------_

James tossed and turned. He kicked off the covers and then pulled them back up to his chest. One moment he was freezing cold and the next he was sweltering hot. He just couldn't get comfortable. He had too much on his mind.

Being as silent as possible, James got up out of his bed and walked to the porch attached to his bedroom. Granted, it wasn't a large porch, just enough room for him to take a step out, but it did the job of clearing his mind.

James hadn't dated a girl since he was ten and here he was, thrust back in the loop. He hadn't meant to ask out Aurora, he hadn't meant to ask any girl out except Lily, but then he saw Lily with that other guy and something triggered.

Remus had told him to ask out other girls, so here he was, asking other girls out. It didn't matter if James didn't like them, they liked him and that's all that mattered. Besides he was only doing it so that Lily might get jealous. It was a big might, but oh well. Maybe during one of his dating excursions he would meet someone that loved him as much as he loved them.

That was a big maybe. James could never love someone as much as he loved Lily.

---------------------------------------------------------

"Wake up Lily!" Rebecca yelled as she jumped up and down on Lily's bed where she was currently groaning about having to wake up. "I've been up for hours."

"I couldn't sleep last night," Lily groaned, pulling the covers back over her head.

"I don't care, get up," Rebecca said, inspecting herself in Lily's full-length mirror.

"Why are you dressed already?" Lily asked, sitting up to look at Rebecca.

"Jacob's over, he wants to do something he wants to do since we dragged him to Diagon Alley yesterday," Rebecca said, brushing her hair.

"Jacob's over already?" Lily exclaimed. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Lily threw off her covers.

"Why do you care?" Rebecca asked.

"Because personally, I don't like boys seeing me like this. I don't care if he's my friend, he's not allowed to see me in this disastrous state," Lily stated, gesturing toward her hair which had turned into a frizz ball overnight. "I'm taking a shower; he'll just have to wait an hour."

"You mean wait another hour."

"He's already been here an hour!" Lily exclaimed. "I hate you."

"I love you too."


	5. 4: Aurora

**Chapter 4**

Lily stuffed her clothes down in the trunk as far as they would go before she slammed it shut. Going shopping with Rebecca and Jacob had been a mistake. Sure they had started in the park playing games but then Rebecca saw a store and then dragged them both in, and when you shopped with Rebecca you were bound to get at least five items.

So here was Lily attempting to stuff all of her new items into her trunk because she knew that if she didn't bring them, Rebecca would have a fit.

"Lily if you don't get your butt down here we're leaving without you! I want to shop!" Lily heard her sister Petunia screech up the stairs. Mrs. Evans had bribed Petunia with shopping so that she didn't have to be in the car alone on the way home from London.

"I'm coming!" Lily yelled back, "don't have a fit," she then muttered as she piled her owl cage complete with owl and her purse on top of the trunk. Lily grunted as she dragged the heavy trunk across the floor. "I hate you Rebecca for making me take all of this stuff," she grunted as she tugged at the trunk again.

Ten minutes later Lily was safely downstairs with her trunk, no help from her sister.

"Finally!" Petunia exclaimed, getting up from her seat on at the table and walking outside to the car. Lily stared after her before finally attempting to drag her trunk again. The slack on the other end of the trunk lifted though and Lily turned to see her mother smiling at her.

"What do you have in here Lily?" Mrs. Evans laughed as they carried it out of the house and into the car.

* * *

"Now you boys have a good year," Mr. Potter said as him, Sirius, James, and Mrs. Potter all stood in the doorway. "Try not to get in too much trouble," he laughed as he ruffled James' hair. 

"Don't worry father, we never get in trouble," James smirked, sharing a glance with Sirius.

"Bye Charlie!" Sirius exclaimed as they walked out of the house and to the car waiting.

"Goodbye Sirius, make sure you come over during Christmas break!"

"Don't worry, I wouldn't miss it for the world," Sirius said, climbing into the car after James.

"It's so weird how you're so buddy-buddy with my parents," James stated as they drove down the road.

"You're parents love me, what can I say?" Sirius shrugged.

"I'll be glad when you're out of the house, I'll finally have my parents back," James joked, hitting his friend. Sirius hit his best friend back. Soon they were tussling in the back.

"Boys! Boys! Stop that!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed, turning around from her front seat position. When the boys stopped hitting each other, Mrs. Potter turned back around and muttered, "Boys."

* * *

"So how great of a couple would Remus and I be? I mean honestly, it's a match made in heaven," Rebecca babbled as her and Lily walk down the hall of the train looking for an open compartment. 

"What would you do if Remus suddenly popped up behind us and heard every word you just said?" Lily asked, glancing in a compartment. She groaned when she saw that it was full already.

"I wouldn't do anything, but he'd realized that he's loved me all these years and take me in his arms and then carry me off to an empty compartment to ravish me senseless," Rebecca sighed, her eyes glazing over.

"There wouldn't be an empty compartment because I would snag it first," Lily said as she looked in another compartment, "Aha! An empty compartment!" Lily exclaimed as she slid the door open.

"There now me and Remus can have a compartment by ourselves," Rebecca said glancing up and down the aisle to see if Remus would magically appear.

"Why are you so obsessed with him?" Lily said, putting her trunk next to the wall. There was no use for her to attempt to put it in the slot above the seats; even with Rebecca helping her it would be near impossible. Rebecca slid her trunk next to Lily's.

"Because he is the perfect guy," Rebecca said breathlessly.

"Whatever happened to Sirius?" Lily asked.

"Sirius is not boyfriend material for me; he's more of best boy-for-friend material," Rebecca said, sitting down across from Lily.

"So why is Remus any different?" Lily asked.

"What am I different from?"

Rebecca and Lily both looked to the door to see Remus entering the compartment with the rest of the Marauders behind him.

"Nothing," Rebecca said quickly.

"There weren't any more compartments open," Sirius said, glancing at Lily as he began to put his trunk up.

"Great," Lily muttered sarcastically as James entered holding the hand of his new girlfriend, Aurora.

"Oy, Remus, help me with these," Sirius said, gesturing toward Lily and Rebecca's trunks on the ground. "Why didn't you put them up?" Sirius asked, reaching for the handle. He grunted as he tried to lift the heavy trunk.

"That's why," Lily smirked as he struggled to lift the trunk. Even when Remus lifted the other end, they struggled to lift the two trunks into bin above.

"I knew girls packed a lot, but I never would've imagined that much," Sirius said, sitting down next to Lily.

"It's her fault," Lily said, pointing at Rebecca.

"Why is it my fault?" Rebecca asked.

"Because you always make me take everything we buy! You yell at me if I don't bring it," Lily argued.

"How about you guys shut-up already?" James said coldly from the corner of the compartment. Aurora was sitting next to him. Actually she was almost sitting on his lap, but who actually cared? Lily glared at him.

"Who made you King of the Compartment?" Lily asked, equally as cold.

"No-one and I'm not, some people just don't like listening to you guys bicker all the time," James said, glaring back at Lily.

"James, we don't care," Peter said quietly, trying to calm the two down.

"Well you know what James? Nobody said anything before you and since you're the only one that cares why don't you leave?"

"I don't have to if I don't want to," James glared.

"Then I don't have to shut up," Lily glared back, almost smugly.

"You know, listening to guys bicker has been very interesting and all, but we'd like to hold our own conversations without being drowned out," Sirius said, butting into the argument before hair started to be pulled and tears started to fall.

"My name's Aurora," the girl said who now had her hand entwined with James'. Aurora was in the same year as the rest of the group but resided in Ravenclaw.

"We know, we're in the same year," Lily said, glaring at Aurora.

* * *

"_Hey Lily," James said, sliding into the seat next to Lily where she was currently writing her Potion's essay._

"_Go away Potter," was her cold response. She didn't even glance up._

"_So, I was thinking. You, me, Hogsmeade this weekend?" James suggested, ignoring her pervious comment._

"_In your dreams."_

"_Why do you always say that?" James smirked. "I've already told you it's happened there. Come on Lils, just one date."_

"_I said no Potter now leave me alone. Drop dead for all I care," Lily said coldly, gathering her stuff in a pile._

"_What would you do if I actually did die?" James asked._

"_I would cry tears of joy," Lily said, grabbing her books and parchment and stalking away._

"_That was harsh Lily," Sirius said, grabbing her arm before she could go up the stairs to her room._

"_I've been saying it for the past four years. He should be use to by now," Lily said, glancing back at James._

"_But I mean, come on; 'drop dead'? Lily, you would not cry tears of joy over that," Sirius said._

"_How do you know Sirius? You may be one of my best guy friends, lord only knows why, but you don't know everything about me," Lily said._

"_Lily, honey, I'm a girl expert. I know everything about them. I know everything about you," Sirius said, a smile playing on his lips._

"_Really?" Lily asked. "Then when's my time of the month?"_

_Sirius took his hand off of Lily's arm quickly, almost like he was burned, and looked like he was going to throw up. He waved her off and started to walk away._

"_That's what I thought," Lily smirked, walking up to the room._


	6. 5: Friends Like to Argue

**Chapter 5**

"Why do you have to be mean to him all the time?" Rebecca mouthed to Lily when the compartment had settled down.

"You're going to start getting mad at me too?" was Lily's answer.

"I'm not getting mad at you; I'm your friend here. I'm just saying that you don't need to be mean to him all the time," Rebecca replied. "No matter what he does, he's always going to like you."

Lily glanced over at James at saw him and Aurora sitting very close and snogging.

"Yeah, Rebecca, he likes me a lot," Lily said sarcastically, tilting her toward James.

"He's just doing that to make you jealous," Rebecca rolled her eyes like it was so obvious.

"Hey, Remus, what are they saying?" Peter whispered to Remus, motioning toward Lily and Rebecca who were still having their silent conversation.

"You know what Peter? We've be trying to figure out the ways of a woman for centuries," Remus said, looking at Lily as she glared at Rebecca who glared back.

"Does that mean you don't know?" Peter questioned.

"That means I have not the slightest inkling," Remus confirmed.

"Boys, boys, boys, if you want to get a lady, you really need to learn more about them," Sirius said confidently, folding his hands behind his head as he leaned back against the seat.

Peter and Remus glanced at each other and then looked back at him.

"So you know what they're saying?" Remus asked.

"Of course I do, they're talking about how sexy and irresistible I am," Sirius smiled.

"Seriously, what are they talking about?" Peter asked again after a short laugh.

"My middle name isn't Lee, Peter, you know that."

"That was funny the first hundred times you said that Sirius, it's just getting old now," Remus said. "Now what are they talking about?"

"Personally, I don't see why you care so much, but they're arguing about James and how Lily's so mean to him," Sirius said.

"If you didn't care, you wouldn't have known," Remus said smugly.

* * *

As soon as the carriage stopped, Lily opened the door and flew out of it and up the stairs that led to Hogwarts. Rebecca slowly followed her and when she caught up with her friend, she found her foaming. 

"Thanks a lot Rebecca, I really needed that after the train ride," Lily practically shouted at Rebecca.

"It's not my fault. How was I supposed to know that James and Aurora were already in the carriage? Why are you even yelling at me?" Rebecca shouted back. Lily took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just seeing him makes me so mad and lately it's just gone over the top. I'm sorry Rebecca," Lily apologized, giving her best friend a hug.

"It's ok. You're jealous, I understand," Rebecca joked.

* * *

"See you after dinner," Aurora whispered in James' ear before giving him a peck on the cheek and walking over to her table. As soon as she reached her seat, people crowded around her asking if James and her were a couple. 

James smirked as he watched Aurora excitedly tell her friends every detail of the past week or so. Then he sighed and walked over to where his friends already sat at the Gryffindor table. Lily and Rebecca sat a few seats away, pointedly ignoring them.

"Aurora?" was his friends' responses when he sat down across from them.

"What about her?" James asked.

"It's Aurora," Remus emphasized.

"What's wrong with Aurora? She's a really nice girl," James asked, confused.

"We're not saying she's not nice but she's not your type at all," Peter explained.

"Ok, then what is my type?" James asked, rolling his eyes.

"Lily Evans," Sirius said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"I didn't know Lily was a type of girl."

"Lily is the only girl you will ever like. I really don't understand why you're attempting the whole dating scene. It isn't for you," Sirius said.

"Lily isn't the girl for me," James said, "She painfully told me at Diagon Alley, remember? Besides, I really like Aurora."

"No you don't James," Sirius laughed. "You'll never be able to get over Lily. You're using Aurora and it isn't fair to her. Sometimes it seems like I know you better than you know yourself."

"You know what Sirius? How about you back out of my life? I'll do whatever I want, thank you very much," James said, glaring at Sirius.

"So what's your plan? Go out with different girl until Lily finally comes around and falls madly in love with you? That isn't the way to go, lover boy," Sirius said, ignored James.

"No, you know what? I'm going to marry Aurora," James said sarcastically. "God Sirius, why are you making such a big deal about this?"

"Because you're going to end up hurting Lily more than she's ever hurt you," Sirius told James.

"What? Are you best friends with Lily now?" James jeered.

"No," Sirius said, glancing down the table at Lily. "But unlike you apparently, I actually care about how a girl feels. I don't toy with their feelings."

"I'm not toying with their feelings," James said between clenched teeth. "Have you even thought that for one second that maybe I actually like Aurora?"

"Please James, stop lying to yourself."

* * *

Lily glanced down the table and saw that Sirius and James were in a heated argument. She snorted and whispered to Rebecca, "Looks like it's a night for arguing." 

"You do realize that it's all your fault, right?" Rebecca told her after looking at Sirius and James continued to argue.

"Why is it my fault?" Lily asked.

"Oh come on Lily, James hasn't been out with a girl for the seven years we've been to school. You've know James for seven years. You haven't had a boyfriend for seven years-" Rebecca said.

"Hey! There was that one guy from the one place with the one hair," Lily said, cringing at her description.

"He doesn't count," Rebecca said. "Lily, he's doing this to make you jealous, it's so obvious. Just go out with him already and see how you feel."

"Well I can't do that now, he has a girlfriend," Lily said sarcastically. "Besides, I'd never go out with him, you know that. He's not my type of guy."

"Lily, you don't have a type of guy. And if you did, he doesn't exist because your standards are too high. But you do have a type and it's James," Rebecca told her friend.

"James isn't a type of guy; he's a guy who is arrogant and conceited, and definitely not my type of guy," Lily said, looking up at Headmaster Dumbledore who was about to begin his Welcome speech.

"Somebody's in denial," Rebecca said in a sing-song voice.

"Please, James only wishes I was," Lily said stubbornly as the Great Hall quieted down. "And whatever his plan is for hooking up with this girl, it's not going to work."


	7. 6: On My Mind

**A/N: Filler chapter. I promise longer chapters will start coming now. **

**Chapter 6**

_Lily giggled slightly as strong, firm arms wrapped around her waist. He nuzzled her neck and she sighed softly. She was comfortable, she felt safe in Kit Bilkons arms. He was always there for her, he loved her, and she loved him. It was a perfect relationship._

"_Lily," he murmured softly in his deep voice that sent shivers up and down her back._

"_Kit," Lily whispered back, resting her head against his chest. "I love you so much."_

"_I love you too Lils," he said back, but his voice was different; it wasn't as deep or gruff. And he never called her Lils._

_Lily turned around and instead of seeing the gray eyes of Kit, she saw the hazel-brown eyes of James Potter._

"_James?" Lily said, confusion gathering on her face._

"_Lily," James muttered before leaning in and kissing her._

Lily woke up with sweat gathering on her forehead and her heart racing. She lied there for minute, slowly recalling her dream. She remember Kit, the Ravenclaw Seventh Year, and then James, and kissing. The weird thing was, she think she might've actually enjoyed it.

"Lily? Are you alright?" Rebecca asked when she saw Lily's face when she woke up.

"Yeah, yeah I'm alright," Lily said, after a moment. "I just need a shower." Lily got up and grabbed her robe and rushed into the bathroom.

* * *

"So you dreamed about James?" Rebecca asked over breakfast. 

"I didn't dream about him, he just happened to be in it," Lily shrugged, cutting up her syrup-drowned waffle and sticking it in her mouth.

"But you kissed him," Rebecca pointed out as she started to shovel cereal in her mouth.

For Lily and Rebecca, breakfast was the most important meal of the day and they took the most of it. They ate as much as they could and then relaxed a little bit more at the other meals. If someone were to steal their breakfast meals, they wouldn't be very happy people.

"He kissed me, I didn't kiss him," Lily clarified, taking a sip of her orange juice.

"But you would've kissed him back if you hadn't woken up," Rebecca joked, glancing at Lily who glared back.

"I woke up meaning it was a nightmare," Lily said, stuffing a particularly large piece of waffle in her mouth.

"You know what? Normally a guy likes a girl that can eat, but you guys go overboard a little bit."

Lily and Rebecca turned to see Sirius slip into a seat next to them. He grabbed a bagel and bit into it.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Rebecca recited, sounding like a textbook.

"Yes, but you're taking it to the extreme. Slow down Bec, there are two meals left today," Sirius laughed.

Rebecca pushed away her plate and slowly swallowed what she had in her mouth. She took a drink of her milk and sat back, glaring at Sirius.

"Ok what did I say now?" Sirius asked, throwing up his hands in defeat while Rebecca glared at him.

"You called me fat again!" Rebecca shouted.

"I did not say fat. The word fat was not mentioned," Sirius said defensively.

"But you implied it," Rebecca whined, throwing her head upon the table and resting it there. Sirius stared at Rebecca head in shock and then looked at Lily who just shrugged her shoulders, trying not to laugh.

"Rebecca, Bec, Becky, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you were fat. I was just joking," Sirius apologized, ruffling Rebecca's hair with his hand. Rebecca just swatted away his hand and continued to lie on the table.

"Sirius, you have a lot to learn about girls obviously," Lily commented taking sip of her juice. Sirius just sighed, rolled his eyes, and walked back over to his friends.

"What did you do to her?" Remus asked, gesturing toward Rebecca.

"Apparently I called her fat again," Sirius groaned, banging his head on the table. Remus just laughed.

* * *

_I'll tell you a secret  
__You have to promise, though  
__You'll tell no one  
__You'll discuss this with no one  
__You won't hint this to anyone  
__This secret is huge  
__I'm almost scared to tell you  
__But I will  
__Because I trust you  
__The secret?  
__No matter what I say  
__No matter what I do  
__I will always love you

* * *

_

James nuzzled his face in Aurora's neck as they sat outside by the lake after classes. Her scent was unfamiliar and, if he wasn't paying attention, caught James off guard. He was used to Lily's scent when he would walk behind her. But, no, he wouldn't think of her. He refused to.

Of course, speak of the devil, who else would walk out onto the grassy grounds than the girl he was thinking about?

"Are you alright James?" Aurora asked when she felt James tense up.

"I'm fine," James said quickly, looking away from the redhead.

It was the first week of classes and James was already finding it much easier to concentrate on the teachers and get good grades when he wasn't staring at the back of Lily's head. It's amazing what a girlfriend will do to a man.

* * *

Lily slammed her book shut and let out an exasperated sigh. She threw the book to the ground and leaned back again the tree Rebecca and her were leaning against. 

"What's the matter?" Rebecca asked as she continued to read her own book.

"Nothing," Lily answered, picking at a piece of grass. Something was the matter, though, something big.

She couldn't get James Potter out of her mind, as hard as she tried, she just couldn't. It as like her and James had switched places. Suddenly James was the one who hated Lily and Lily was obsessed with James. But that couldn't be right because Lily Evans didn't and would never love James Potter. It was impossible. He was too arrogant and conceited for her liking. Of course, since the year had begun, he had changed drastically.

Was Lily Evans finally falling for the famous Potter charm?


	8. 7: Only a Month

**Chapter 7**

"James, it's only been a month and you're breaking up with Rory?" Sirius said, spreading jelly on his toast. He took a large bite and stared at James who was looking across the Great Hall at Aurora who was laughing with her friends.

"Yeah," James said simply, putting his elbow on the table and resting his head on his hand. He continued to stare at Aurora.

"Why?" Remus asked, glancing at Sirius and Peter.

"I'm bored," James said simply.

"What?" Peter exclaimed while Sirius spit out the orange juice in his mouth.

"Sirius, ew," Remus grimaced, wiping his arm where some juice had sprayed.

"Sorry," Sirius muttered wiping his mouth but staring at James. "You're bored?

"Yeah Sirius, just like you get bored with every girl you break u p with," James said, rolling his eyes.

"Wow," Sirius muttered

"Yeah, wow," Remus muttered.

"He's turning into me," Sirius said, wiping fake tears from his eyes.

"What?" Remus exclaimed, surprised at what Sirius said. It had not been along the same lines as to his reaction.

"He's starting to become my twin. I can never last more than a month with a girl. I knew he'd come to his senses eventually, I knew it all along," Sirius said, sitting back in his seat.

"You always knew that he would eventually get over Lily and start dating other girls and would only last a month with each of them?" Remus asked skeptically.

"Of course," Sirius scoffed, taking a bite of his toast.

"Yeah right," Remus rolled his eyes.

"That was kind of fast James," Peter said, ignored Remus and Sirius.

"Yeah well, I'm just not as happy with her as I thought I would be," James said, picking at the eggs on his plate.

"Think you would be happier with Lily?" Peter said nonchalantly.

"No," James said, stabbing his eggs and glaring at Peter. Peter just looked away and smiled.

* * *

"You'll never guess what I just heard," Rebecca said, flopping down next to Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes and looked at her best friend. "What did you hear Rebecca?" Lily asked, humoring her.

"James is breaking up with Aurora," Rebecca answered in a sing-song voice.

"Really?" Lily said, perking up. Unconsciously she straightened up and her face brightened.

"Yup," Rebecca said, smirking at her friend. "He obviously hasn't gotten over you."

"Please; he's just turning into Sirius," Lily replied, taking a drink of her milk.

"True," Rebecca said, "but he still loves you. James can't get over you, it's physically impossible for him."

"Well that's his fault. If he can't get over me, his life is going to be fruitless and pointless."

"Ouch, that's kind of harsh."

"No it's not!" Lily exclaimed. "I've said much worse stuff."

* * *

"Lily!"

"Go away Sirius," Lily said, continuing to read her book.

"I don't think so," Sirius replied, taking the novel in his hands and throwing it across the room.

"Hey!" Lily protested, glaring at Sirius.

"I'm your best friend and this is for your own good," Sirius said, shoving Lily farther down on the couch so that he had room.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, shrieking as Sirius pushed her.

"Ok maybe not your best friend but I'm pretty high up there, right?" Sirius asked, waiting for a confirmation. Lily stared at Sirius and finally rolled her eyes, a smile playing on her lips.

"Whatever you say," she muttered.

"That's what I thought," Sirius said, pleased. "Now let's talk about James."

"No thank you," Lily said, making to get up from the couch.

"You're staying," Sirius said, grabbing Lily's arm and pulling her back down, "and you're going to listen to me."

Lily glared at Sirius. "You're hurting me," she said simply, looking at his hand tight around her wrist.

"Sorry," Sirius said, removing his hand. "So, what did you think of Aurora?"

"I thought she was a stuck-up bimbo," Lily said simply, keeping her voice calm.

Sirius stared at Lily in shock. "Wow that was easier than I thought. You really didn't like her?"

"No, I've never liked her so don't think this is because of James. She has always been stuck-up. She's always one to think she's better than anyone else. It's annoying. And this whole James thing just made it worse. Now she's even more unbearable. It's a wonder she has any friends," Lily said shortly. "Can I go now?"

"No!" Sirius said. "We still haven't touched the James subject. You do know why he's doing all this girlfriend stuff, right?"

"Apparently it's because of me or something. That's what Rebecca told me but she tends to mix things up sometimes."

"Well listen to Rebecca, she's a smart girl. James won't admit it but it is because of you. Everyone knows that; even the girl he's going out with," Sirius explained.

"Wait, so he has a new girlfriend already? Didn't he just break up with Aurora this morning?" Lily asked.

"You care?" Sirius smirked.

"No," Lily said quickly. "I was just wondering. I mean, that was fast, even faster than you."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders with a smug grin. "I've taught him everything I know."

"You're disgusting Sirius." Lily rolled her eyes and hit him in the shoulder.

"I try, I really do," Sirius shrugged. "So I have a quick question that has absolutely nothing to do with James."

"Yes?" Lily asked, a little bit wary.

"Who does Rebecca like?"

"What?" Lily asked, surprised.

"Does Rebecca like anyone?" Sirius repeated but then added "I mean, she's one of my friends and I just want to protect her and stuff, you know."

"Yeah, right," Lily said, holding in a laugh. "Um, I'm not sure. I mean, she has her obsessions but I'm not sure if she actually likes anyone or not. Why don't you ask her? I mean, you said she was your good friend."

"Nah, that would be weird," Sirius said, waving his hand at the thought.

"Why? Because you like her?" Lily asked, throwing the idea out there.

Sirius made a face and stood up. He then walked away laughing and shaking his head.

**A/N: Still a little bit on the short side but it'll be better next time, I promise!**

**Hmmm now who is this girl that is supposedly James' new girlfriend?? Hmmm, haha. Lovely. Review peoplesss**


	9. 8: Number 3

**A/N: Yay for update! Yay for summer! Yay for life! I'm offically done with school for the year so I can write now. It's exciting. I'm thinking Accidental update next...we'll see. I'm a roll with this though.**

**Jill is based off of a girl I know...her personality in real life isn't quite so strong though, but pretty much the same, though.**

**Chapter 8**

Her name? Jill.

Her age? Another 7th Year.

Her time so far? A month and a half.

Her number? 3.

Jill came after Number 2, Anica, who only lasted a couple weeks before James grew bored of her unique name.

People caught onto James' new habit quickly. And after Anica, they thought Jill was the real deal. She had lasted longer than the other two girls and was so vastly different from them and liked things similar to James. And James seemed to genuinely like her.

Where as Anica tended to be lazy and dependant, Jill was out running every morning by herself in order to stay in shape for Quidditch. James had hated how Aurora bragged about him to her friends. Jill, on the other hand, rarely talked about James to her friends mainly because she was Slytherin and her friends would hate her if she did talk about him. And James never had to worry about Jill freaking out if he put Quidditch before her because she tended to do the same thing.

This was how the two had met and when James decided she was his new love interest.

It happened at a Quidditch game when it was Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Jill and James were both Chasers and always ended up being after each other for the Quaffle. James usually never paid attention to the opposing teams' players. His only thought during the game was to score on them so he could laugh in their faces. He was perpetually trying to impress Lily with his Quidditch skills as well, but now that he was over her, he had more time to focus on his playing.

During the Quidditch game, right when James was about to score on Slytherin, Jill rammed into him, knocking him off his broom. He was in shock for a moment, think about how he hadn't seen her but then realization hit him that he was falling from fifty feet in the air. Of course right at that second a hand reached out and grabbed him. Assuming it was his fellow teammate, James looked up smiling preparing to thank them but found it was Jill with the Quaffle in her hands.

"Need some help?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

"You're saving me?" James asked, shocked. He'd seen players watch the opposing team fall from the air without even moving in their direction. And he never thought he'd see a Slytherin help out a Gryffindor.

"I got the Quaffle, why let you die as well?" Jill shrugged, helping pull him up to his broom. "See you later." She winked and was off to the Gryffindor goal posts to supposedly score.

All James could do for the rest of the game and night was think about his savior. In the end, Gryffindor lost humiliatingly to Slytherin because of James. James didn't care, though; because he was too busy planning on how to get Jill to be his girlfriend.

* * *

"Lily! Guess what!" Rebecca shrieked as she landed next to Lily in the Great Hall, where all the best gossip was heard.

"Now what have you heard?" Lily asked, wondering if she would even care about Rebecca's gossip this morning.

"You know Jill? The tallish Slytherin with the gorgeous, brown hair? Real pretty blue eyes? You know who I'm talking about, right?" Rebecca asked, drawing out the girl with her hands.

"The snobby, stuck-up girl who always manages to hit me when she's trying to aim at pillows because she 'accidentally' put too much oomph in her spell? That Slytherin?" Lily asked bitterly. "Or do you mean the Jill who has somehow snagged James? Which one are you talking about?"

Rebecca's mouth formed a small O, remembering all the times Jill had "accidentally" hit Lily with a spell out of jealousy. "Yeah that Jill," she said slowly. "I-yeah, that was the news. That she's going out with James now."

"I've already heard. Sirius told me," Lily said, pushing her bowl of cereal out of the way and laying her head down.

"Are you bummed about it?" Rebecca asked. Lily just shook her head but kept it down on the table.

"Yes you are. What's been up with you lately?" Rebecca asked, putting her hand around Lily's shoulders. "I know something's wrong so spill."

"It's nothing, really. There is just a lot on my mind," Lily confessed, lifting her head and smiling at Rebecca. "I'm really ok."

"Are you sure? Because you know I'm always here for you, right?" Rebecca reminded her best friend.

"I know," Lily said, giving her friend a hug. "I have to get to Potions though so I'll talk to you at lunch, ok?"

"Ok, love you babe!" Rebecca called out as Lily walked out of the Great Hall.

"Ditto!" Lily called back before turning a corner.

* * *

When Lily walked into her Potions class, she immediately wanted to walk out again. Right in front of her eyes was James and Jill. She had completely forgotten they were in this class. Jill was so vastly different from Anica that she almost didn't remember they were a couple. But then saw their hands clasped together.

Jill and James were sitting at the same table but talking to different groups of people. Jill was talking to her Slytherin friends who kept glaring at James and James was talking to Remus at the table behind him, the only other Marauder in the class.

"Oi! Lily, over here!" Remus called out over the din of the classroom. Remus usually sat with James but Jill had moved into his seat and now he didn't want to sit by himself.

Lily found herself walking toward Remus, keeping her eyes on him but looking at James out of the corner of her eye.

"Hi Remus, can I sit here?" Lily asked when she got to the table.

"Please," Remus gestured, pulling out the seat.

"Thank you," Lily said, sitting down and pulling out her books.

"Hi Lily," James said, staring at her for a moment before finally opening his lips.

"Hello James," Lily said before looking back at Remus. "Did you understand the homework Remus?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah I did. Do you want me to explain how to make the potion?" Remus asked. He glanced between Lily and James then opened his book.

"Yes please," Lily said.

James stared at Lily with narrowed eyes then turned away. He tried to be civil toward her and she just blew him off like every other time. What was he suppose to do? But then again, why should he care if her heart was as cold as ice?

"Good morning class, good morning. How are my favorite students?" Professor Slughorn, the potions master asked as he walked into the room.

"Good morning Professor," the class said in union after quieting down.

"I trust that all of you read the assignment and are prepared to create the potion. Let's mix it up with partners today, shall we?" the professor said, clapping his hands together. "Let's see I want the first and third row to turn around and stare at the person directly behind you; that is your partner for this potion. The fifth row can just be partners with the person seated next to them."

"You've got to be kidding me," James laughed, leaning back in his chair and throwing his head back. He couldn't believe his luck. Last year he would've been ecstatic but now it was just a nuisance.

"Professor you can't!" Lily shrieked once she realized who her partner was.

"Oh, what's this? The couple doesn't want to be together?" the professor asked, walking over to James and Lily.

"We aren't a couple," Lily said through clenched teeth.

"I have a girlfriend and she's not it," James said at the same time.

"Well, you two sure act like it. But I'm sorry; I won't move people around just because of you two," Professor Slughorn said apologetically.

"I'll be Lily's partner, sir," Remus volunteered, eager to get out of his partnership with Jill.

"No, no, if I switch partners around, I'll have to do it with the rest of the class," Professor Slughorn said, shaking his head. He moved away to the front of the class. "The partners are just for one potion, people. You will live, I promise you. Unless for some reason you add ragweed instead of ratweed; that's another story, though," the professor chuckled.

The students began standing up and collecting the ingredients they would need. Not Lily or James though, they sat in their seats with their arms crossed. Lily sat glaring at the back of James' head and James just didn't move.

"Move it Evans." Lily looked up to see Jill glaring down at her and ready to push her out of her seat. "Me and Remus are working here."

Sighing, Lily stood up, grabbed her books, and pushed her way around Jill. Before she got far, though, a hand reached out and stopped her.

"Touch James and you die," Jill whispered in Lily's ear before releasing her wrist. Lily glanced back at Jill but saw her talking to Remus now.

"Like I would even think about touching him," Lily said under her breath before taking Jill's former seat next to James. This was going to a long class, she could already feel it.

**A/N: What could possibly go wrong in an Advanced Potions class????**


	10. 9: Potions Class

**A/N: Whoot! Update. Get excited people, get excited!**

**Chapter 9**

"You aren't supposed to add the shreds yet!" Lily hissed, swatting James' hand away from the steaming cauldron. James dropped the shredded tongue on the table and rubbed his hand.

"Would you stop slapping me?" James hissed back. "That's the third time you've done that this hour."

"Well you keep trying to add ingredients at the wrong time!" Lily said back, trying to keep her voice low. "I personally don't feel like messing this up and then having to redo it which will take even longer. I'm not entirely sure I can stand being around you that much longer."

"And you think I like being around you?" James asked, glaring down at her. Lily looked up at James, glaring at him, and wishing for once that she was tall so she could look him straight in the eye.

"So how are the lovebirds doing?" Professor Slughorn asked amidst their glaring contest. He swooped in behind them and looked down in the cauldron.

"We aren't lovebirds!" James and Lily snapped at the teacher without thinking.

Slughorn raised at eyebrow and both students looked down in shame. "I'm going to ignore that for now and instead I'm going to look at your potion which doesn't seem to be on the same track at everyone else's."

Lily looked down in their cauldron then looked at Remus and Jill's cauldron, noting the obvious difference. "Look what you've done now James! You've distracted me!" Lily said, slapping him on the arm.

"What?" James exclaimed. "You're the one who keeps arguing with me! We could've had this done if you would just shut your mouth!"

"Ahem!" Slughorn said above the din the two were creating. "I suggest you two work diligently if you want to fix this potion by the end of the class and still get a decent grade. That or you can come in tonight to work on it."

"I assure you Professor, we will finish it this class period," Lily said, glaring at James one last time before turning back to the potion.

James just rolled his eyes with a scowl on his face before turning back to the directions for the potion.

"I was right! We were supposed to add the tongue then," James pointed out with a triumphant look on his face.

"No, we weren't. You have to add the tongue when it's a milky-white color. Does this look milky-white?" Lily asked, gesturing to the ugly brown color of the potion.

"Obviously not but then we did something wrong earlier because you add the tongue after stirring the potion twenty times which you just did," James argued.

"We? We did something wrong? I have been following the directions, thank you very much. You," Lily said, poking James in the chest, "added something behind my back when you weren't suppose to. You messed the potion up."

"Oh, of course," James said, throwing his hands up in defeat. "It's always my fault, isn't it? Prefect Lily could never do something wrong, it always has to be my fault."

"That's because it always is your fault!" Lily said. "You mess everything up!"

"Lily! James!" Professor Slughorn shouted. "If you two don't quite down-"

"You're the one who can never admit that you're wrong!" James said, ignoring Slughorn. James took a step closer to Lily so he was towering over her but Lily didn't back down. Instead she just stood up straighter and shoved him away.

"Why would I admit something that I never did?" Lily asked, also ignoring Slughorn.

"Why can't you open your damn eyes and look around, Lily? You're in the wrong. You messed this up and you know it."

"James!" Professor Slughorn tried again. The two students continued to ignore him though. The rest of the class seemed to have forgotten about their potions and were instead staring the duo.

"This isn't my fault," Lily said quietly after a moment of complete silence. "You're the one who ruined this."

James shook his head and turned away. "I grew up Lily, now it's your turn."

"Both of you has detention," Professor Slughorn said once he was sure the two were done arguing.

"What?" Lily shrieked. "Detention?"

"Yes, detention for disrupting my class. You will also have to come in tonight in order to finish the potion. For now just clean out what you have made and sit quietly," Slughorn said, walking back to the front of the classroom. "And I mean quietly. The rest of you finish up the potion and bring it up to my desk when you are done."

"I hate you," Lily said between clenched teeth as she flopped down in her seat.

"Yeah, well you aren't exactly on my Top 10 list either," James replied, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from Lily.

"I've never gotten a detention in my life," Lily moaned, laying her head down on her arms on the table.

"Well there's a first time for everything," James sneered. Lily lifted her head and glared at James.

"This time it really is your fault," Lily said.

"So you're admitting that the potion actually might not have been my fault?" James asked, his eyebrow raised and a smirk on his mouth.

"No, I'm saying that you can't talk your way out of saying that my detention wasn't your fault," Lily clarified.

"No offense, guys," Jill said, leaning forward toward the two, "but can you shut up? Some of are trying to finish a potion for a grade."

Lily glared at Jill but then turned away in a stony silence. Jill smirked then turned back to James.

"Looks like we can't do anything tonight, James, thanks to Ms. Prefect over there," Jill said, gesturing toward Lily. Lily narrowed her eyes but pretended to ignore the comment.

"Yeah, well, we didn't finish the potion. It was both of our faults," James said as he continued to face forward.

"Weren't you just saying a second ago that it was all Lily's fault?" Jill asked.

James remained silent though. Jill looked between the two students sitting in front of her. They were both seated the same way, with their arms crossed over their chest, but were looking in opposite directions. And by what she could see, they also had the same scowl and narrowed eyes on their face.

She couldn't understand them. As hard as she tried, she really just couldn't understand the couple. They weren't an official couple, they never would be, and Lily and James both would probably kill her if they found out she was calling them a couple, but that's what they were; a couple. Their fight almost proved it. There was something more under what they were saying. Maybe they didn't know it, but Jill sure did; and she was an expert on relationships.

"Jill! Earth to Jill!" Remus said, waving a hand in front of Jill's face.

"What?" Jill snapped.

"We kind of have a potion to finish," Remus replied.

"Oh, right," Jill replied, cursing herself for forgetting about the potion.

Jill glanced back at Lily and James with narrowed eyes. Who cared about what went on in their lives? James was hers now. He was over Lily and Lily has never wanted anything to with him. They were never going to get over that little fact. Their relationship was doomed before it even began.

James was hers.

* * *

"Hello Rebecca," Sirius said, drawing out the hello. 

"Hi Sirius," Rebecca replied as he took a seat next her at lunchtime.

"So how is my beautiful flower today?" Sirius asked, helping himself to some cold pasta.

"Lily?" Rebecca asked, confused.

"No not Lily," Sirius said. He clarified "I meant you, duh."

"Oh," Rebecca said, looking down at her potato soup. "People don't usually call me a beautiful flower, it's always Lily they're talking about."

"Psht, well what do they know?" Sirius asked.

"Are you saying Lily isn't pretty?" Rebecca asked, looking at Sirius with her an eyebrow raised.

Sirius looked up nervously. "No! No, no, that wasn't what I was saying. I-I meant that you're also pretty so, I mean, you should be called a beautiful flower too. That's what I meant."

"Why are you always so awkward and quick to correct yourself? God Sirius, relax," Rebecca said, rolling her eyes and turning back to her soup. While she was looking down, though, her eyes caught someone else coming toward them. "Remus!" she exclaimed, her face brightening up. "Hey!"

"Hey Rebecca, hey Sirius," Remus replied as he sat across from the two.

"Where's Lily? Aren't you in Potions with her?" Rebecca asked as Remus helped himself to a buttered roll.

"Yeah, her and James were partners for the potion we were making today and they couldn't do it," Remus said in between bites. "So they had to stay after to talk to Professor Slughorn about when they could come in and redo it."

"What do you mean they couldn't finish the Potion? Lily and James are some of the top students in that class," Sirius asked.

"They fought, big time. At first they were just arguing about the directions and when to put in the ingredients but it turned into more. And there were some definite underlying meaning in their comments."

"Really?" Rebecca asked, learning forward. "Like what?"

"It was just stuff about their relationship or whatever they call it," Remus replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Just ask Lily when she comes. She should be here soon."

"Here she comes. Lily!" Rebecca shouted over the Great Hall to get Lily's attention. Lily turned toward her friend, waved, and quickened her pace. Sirius, Remus, and Rebecca weren't sure, though, if it was to get to her friends or get away from James who was following her with Jill in tow.

"I swear if he talks to me tonight, I will hex him so hard," Lily said, leaving the threat hanging.

Rebecca looked at Sirius and Remus then back at Lily. "So Potions class was good?"


	11. 10: Skinned

**A/N: It's short, I know. Sorry. It took me so long to write though. I've had some crazy past weeks.**

**Chapter 10**

"James," Jill whined. "Why don't you just skip it? You promised me a moonlight walk tonight."

"Jill, this is for a grade. I can't just skip it," James said, rolling his eyes and leaning back in his chair. The couple was seated at the Slytherin table eating lunch. James felt that he wouldn't be welcomed at the Gryffindor table so he decided to eat lunch with Jill.

"You've done it a million times before. It's just a stupid potions assignment," Jill pouted, biting into a green apple. "Besides, you're the top of the class. It's just one assignment."

"I have a partner this time and I'm not the top of the class," James argued, grabbing a toasted sandwich from a platter.

"You're doing this because of Lily?" Jill said with disgust.

"No, I am doing this because of my grade," James said. He added in an undertone then, "And because Lily would hex me all way to America if I skipped on her."

"Are you scared of Lily?" Jill caught what he had said under his breath. She had a smirk on her face.

"No I'm not scared of Lily," James scoffed.

"Yes you are!" Jill laughed. "I can't believe you're scared of a girl."

"I'm scared of you," James admitted.

"Well you're allowed to be scared of me," Jill said, rolling her eyes, "I mean, it's me. But Lily, how can you be scared of her? She's such a wimp."

"Lily is not a wimp," James said. "Her slaps sting for days and sometimes leave bruises. She knows how to stand up for herself and others. Trust me, she's not a wimp."

Jill narrowed her eyes and took a bite of her apple. "Why are you defending her? Last I checked, you hate her."

"I do," James said. "I mean, well, I don't exactly hate her. She just, she's-." James stopped talking and just sighed, scratching his head. "Never mind, you won't understand.

"Try me," Jill prompted him.

"We'll be done with the potion before midnight. We'll go out by the lake then," James said, dropping the subject.

"Fine," Jill shrugged. "I'll be at our spot at midnight."

"Oy! James! Let's go!"

James looked up from his forgotten sandwich to see Sirius, Remus, and Peter all waving him over.

"I have to go," James said, standing up and dropping his sandwich. "I'll see you tonight." He leaned over and kissed sullen Jill's cheek. "Cheer up babe." Jill just glared at his retreating back.

* * *

Lily silently cut up her rat tongue in neat, perfect cubes as the directions called for. She planned on passing this test with top marks, even if James managed to mess something up. 

Lily and James were standing on opposite sides of the table, at least two feet apart. They hadn't talked since they first saw each other on the way to Professor Slughorn's office and they weren't planning on it. A simmering cauldron stood between them. They both had a set of directions and knew what to do. James would deal with the messy things that didn't need to be exactly right and Lily dealt with the exact stuff, like how many stirs, which direction, and for how long, and the plants that needed to be crushed.

That was the only reason she was the one cutting up the rat tongue

Lily stood up straight, for she had been hunched over, and admired her perfect squares. "Perfect," she muttered quietly. Lily looked at the directions to see what she had to do next. As she skimmed through the list, she realized that the only thing that prevented her from stirring the potion thirty times clockwise was the shredded grindylow tongue James was working on.

Lily glanced over at James to see how he was coming with the tongue. One glance told her that he hadn't even started on the tongue; worse, though, was that he wasn't doing anything. He was standing there with his head bowed. It almost looked like he was asleep. She knew he wasn't though, because through his hair she could see him blink periodically.

"Why aren't you shredding the grindylow tongue?" Lily asked, breaking the silence. She wanted to get this potion done as soon as possible.

"What?" James asked, looking up. He glanced around the room as if he didn't know what he was doing there.

"Why haven't you shredded the tongue yet? That's all we're waiting for. We have to add the rat tongue and grindylow tongue at the same time," Lily point to the grindylow tongue and knife lying on the table in front of James.

James just stared at it. "Right," he said slowly, picking up the knife and tongue. Slowly he started to shred it.

Lily rolled her eyes and went back to admiring her perfect rat tongue cubes.

* * *

James slowly slid the knife down the tongue, slicing off a sliver as he went. Why was it, just when everything seemed so normal, everything had to be thrown in a blender again? 

James was perfectly happy with Jill. He wanted to be with her. She was like his better half. At least, that's how he saw it. Most people like to say Lily was his better half. Where did they come up with that though? Lily hated him, she proved it everyday. Just what James wanted, a half that hated him.

Jill was all he could ask for in a girl. She loved Quidditch. She was competitive and wasn't a girly girl type. She didn't mind getting dirty, which James definitely liked.

James smiled physically as these thoughts rolled through his head.

But then there was Lily. What was it about Lily that made her so attractive? Made him want to be with her even though he knew she hated him? She was physically beautiful; no doubt about it, but there was something as well. Was it her fiery personality; her ability to stand up to everyone and not fall in the bandwagon? Maybe that's what initially attracted James to Lily. Maybe it was because Lily had never fallen for James that made him want her even more.

No.

James' smile disappeared and he frowned, his eyes narrowing.

No, no, no.

James was over Lily. She hated him. She hated him with every fiber in her body, as she often told him. James refused to think of her anymore. She didn't deserve it. He was over her. Lily didn't deserve his love.

Then why, oh why, every time James tried to think of Jill, Lily's red hair, green eyes, and beautiful face replace Jill's?

* * *

Jill sat on a stone bench with his elbows resting on her knees. It was well past midnight, as the moon was starting to sink in the sky. 

She couldn't believe it, James had stood her up. Jill wiped a silent tear away as it rolled down her cheek. She thought James had been real. She was willing to give it her all for him. She would do anything to make a relationship with him work. In the end, though, he was just another one of the guys.

God, she was such a fool for thinking he had changed over one summer. The past six years had been nothing but Lily Evans this and Lily Evans that. Jill had bided her time and it had finally come her seventh and final year. What make her think that James would suddenly switch off his Lily Evans button after six years?

Her friends had warned her that it was just a ploy to make Lily jealous but Jill didn't believe them. James said he had changed and she believed him.

Now, though, as Jill thought back on it, he hadn't changed. He hadn't changed one bit, he only thought he had. James still loved Lily with his whole heart. There wasn't room for another girl. James just hasn't realized it yet.

Jill stood up and wiped away the last of her tears. She just hoped that James would figure out his own heart before he hurt another girl.

"But James you better watch out. If you think you can stand up Jill Meissner, you've got another thing coming," Jill said angry and she walked across the school grounds and towards the castle. Now, because of him, she was going to have circles under her eyes tomorrow.

* * *

"I stood Jill up," James repeated for the umpteenth time later that night as he lay in his four-poster bed. "I stood Jill up, I can't believe it." 

"Dude, believe it. Now go to sleep," Sirius' groggy voice came from the bed besides him.

James and Lily had finished the potion right before midnight. After Lily had reminded him to shred the grindylow tongue, they hadn't talked again. Professor Slughorn had given them top marks on the spot and they were free to go. James knew he should head to the lake, to his and Jill's spot, but he didn't. His feet just didn't allow him to go that way.

"I can't believe I stood Jill up," James repeated again. "I'm going to get skinned alive tomorrow."

**A/N: Shnappp! Now what's Jill gonna do to James???**


	12. 11: On The Defense

**A/N: Think it took long enough? Haha. Enjoy peoples **

**Chapter 11**

As James walked down to breakfast the next morning, he couldn't help but look over his shoulder and down dark halls every few steps. It was late in the morning and James was surprised that Jill hadn't struck yet but that didn't mean he let his guard down. If he knew Jill, and boy did he know Jill, she would strike when he least expected it. Therefore he would be on his guard at all times.

James finally reached the Great Hall unscathed. He didn't relax, though; he scanned the dining hall for Jill's head but couldn't find it. He sighed in relief.

"Have you guys seen Jill?" James asked when he reached his friends.

"I thought you were trying to stay away from her?" Remus asked in return.

"I would much rather have my eyes on her than not know where she is."

"What do you think she's going to do?" Peter asked.

"She's probably going to quarter me, turn me inside out then feed me to a Peruvian Vipertooth," James guessed. "All while I'm still alive."

"Sounds like a party to me!" Sirius exclaimed, pulling out a chair next to James and sitting down.

"Had to get your beauty sleep, did you Sirius?" Remus said, noting Sirius' lateness to breakfast. Peter laughed.

"Well, yes, but blame James," Sirius said, pointing at his best friend who gave a disgruntle 'humph'. "He kept me up all night with his talk about how Jill is going to kill him and never talk to him again. And then the occasional thing about Lily popped up. But you may have been sleeping then."

"What?" Remus, Peter, and even James exclaimed.

"Oh yeah James, you were talking in your sleep. I'm not quite sure what it was about but something about detention with Lily. Did you shag her or something?" Sirius joked.

James punched his friend a little harder then necessary and then glared at his plate. "No I did not shag Lily Evans. Absolutely nothing happened in detention. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop."

"You sound disappointed about that," Peter said. "Last I check you were over Lily. Or has that changed?"

"No, of course it hasn't changed," James answered, shifting his glare to Peter who physically backed away.

"What's up with you James? I thought you 'loved' Jill," Remus asked. "And I'm thinking you wouldn't have stood Jill up unless you had a really good reason which, to me, might mean something happened with Lily."

"Nothing happened with Lily, okay? And I don't know why I stood Jill up, I really don't. I just, after me and Lily finished the potion I just couldn't walk out to the grounds," James tried to explain.

"Were you walking behind Lily?" Sirius asked.

"I-what? Why does that matter?"

"Well my guess is if you were walking behind Lily then you were so entranced by her long luscious locks and her amazing body that you weren't even thinking of Jill and her dull hair and not so curvy body. In fact, you were even thinking about following Lily right up to her room. Well, you would except for the sliding staircase, but you know what I mean." James couldn't help but laugh at Sirius' explanation complete with actions. He probably shouldn't have laughed but he did and he didn't care.

"See? It's true, he's laughing," Sirius said, fully satisfied. "I'm so amazing I even scare myself." At that statement, James laughed even harder. "You know what; you can stop laughing anytime now, okay James? Anytime."

* * *

"So how was detention Lily?" Rebecca asked at breakfast the next morning.

"He didn't talk to me at all," Lily replied, spreading marmalade on her toast.

"Are you disappointed in that?" Rebecca asked slowly, getting a piece of toast herself.

"Disappointed? No!" Lily said, clarifying her statement. "I'm glad he didn't talk to me; that's the way it should be."

"Oh, well this may make you even happier," Rebecca said. "Apparently James was suppose to meet Jill out at the lake after your detention but he never showed up."

"Yeah he followed me all the way to the commons. I almost thought he was going to follow me up to my room," Lily said.

"And that would be a bad thing?" Rebecca joked.

"A very bad thing," Lily answered.

"I'm just kidding. James wouldn't survive the first step." Rebecca took a bite of her toast, smiling. "Anyways, on to bigger and better news. While James was stalking you to your common room, Jill was sitting out in the cold by the lake."

"That's kind of surprising. He really stood her up?" Lily asked, shocked.

"He stood her up big time. I heard she waited out there for hours after they were supposed to meet," Rebecca replied secretively. "He's, like, fearing for his life over there." Rebecca gestured over to where James and his friends were sitting. Lily looked over and saw that he was, in fact, looking over his shoulders every few minutes and at the slightest noise.

"Is Jill down here?" Lily asked, looking over at the Slytherin table.

"No, no one's seen her since last night. She's probably planning something really devious to get back at James."

"She's not going to kill him or anything, is she?" Lily nervously asked.

Rebecca's eyebrows shot up. "One, she wouldn't go to that much of an extreme and two, why do you care?"

"I don't," Lily said defensively. "I just want to help her, that's all."

"Uh-hu, sure. That's just what you say," Rebecca smirked.

"Aw, shut up Bec."

The duo lapsed into silence as they ate there breakfast. Before long, though, they had a visitor.

"Since girls know everything, I'm assuming you know what happened, even though it just happened," Sirius said, sitting down next to Lily.

"Doesn't James care that you are always coming to talk to Lily and me?" Rebecca asked, looking for his friends.

"I don't think he really knows," Sirius said. "Besides, they never actually see me talk to you guys." Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "So am I right in guessing that you already know what happened?"

"That James ditched Jill and she hasn't been seen all morning and is probably planning on killing James?" Lily asked. "Yes, we heard."

"Of course you did," Sirius said. "How do you do it? How do girls learn news so fast? Something happens one second and every girl in the school knows about it the next. How do you do it?"

"It's a girl thing mainly. You wouldn't understand," Rebecca explained.

"Kind of like I don't understand what happens once a month for you or pregnancy?" Sirius smugly asked.

"You are so weird Sirius. Honestly, I would think you were homosexual if I didn't actually know you," Lily said, standing up and collecting her book bag. Sirius and Rebecca followed her lead.

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or a bash," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"That was definitely a bash," Rebecca explained. "You should never take being gay as a compliment, Sirius, not you."

"So was that just a compliment? What you just said?" Sirius asked, getting confused.

"Um," Rebecca looked at Lily who shrugged. "Yeah, we'll go with that. It was a compliment." Lily snickered and Rebecca soon followed.

"You guys are confusing me," Sirius said, rubbing his head as if he had a headache.

"Good, we're supposed to be confusing. We're girls and guys aren't supposed to understand us."

The door to the Great Hall was closed and Lily, Sirius, and Rebecca approached it, it suddenly swung open with great force. The trio froze to let whoever was in a hurry pass.

"Jill," Sirius and Rebecca whispered as the girl passed by them in what seemed great fury. Jill stopped not far them and was observing the four tables. Lily just stared at her with a hard glare on her face.

She didn't speak overly loud but her voice carried across the Great Hall which became very quiet. "Where is he? James Charles Potter, get your arse out here!"


	13. 12: Her Revenge

**Chapter 12**

"James, run."

"I-what?" James asked with a very confused look on his face.

"We need to hide you. And quickly. You need to run fast," Remus repeated.

"I have class, though," James said dumbly.

"James, are you comprehending me?" Remus asked. Stopping James and turning to face him. "Jill is after you. She might murder you. Tear your lungs out, cook them, and then feed them to a three-headed dog."

Slowly James' eyes widened and his mouth dropped. His mouth opened and closed and no sound came out but Remus could tell he was cursing.

"I have to get out here," James said, gripping Remus' shoulders. "What am I going to do? She's going to find me. I'm going to die. Oh my god. Remus help."

"Uh…I haven't gotten that far yet." Remus said, looking around the hall. "I think Sirius said he'd come up with a place to hide."

"Sirius? You left the planning to Sirius?" James asked, his voice getting unnaturally high. He ran his hands through his hair nervously.

"Dude, why are you guys just standing there? I thought you were telling James Jill was after him," Sirius said, his head peeking around a corner.

"Sirius!" James said, relief flooding through his body.

"I did, but I didn't know where to take him because you didn't tell me," Remus explained.

"Oh, that might've been helpful," Sirius admitted as James and Remus fell into step with him. "Well I figured the best place to hide James from Jill was where she would least expect him."

"Which is where?" Remus asked.

"Class."

"Huh. That's pretty ingenious Sirius. The place least expected of James is where he should be in the first place."

"Yeah, I have my moments," Sirius agreed, smiling.

"I go to class!" James butted in. "Occasionally…"

"About once a week if the professor's lucky," Sirius joked.

"Hey, it's better than only going for half of that one class like some people I know," James replied.

"Touché."

"Why are you guys still in the hallways?" Peter asked frantically as he came running down the hall.

"Sirius just got here, why?" Remus explained.

"Jill's on her way," Peter whispered quite loudly as he attempted to usher them down the hall and around the corner. Peter's effort to try and save his friends was in vain, though, because at that moment Jill came stalking down the hallway. The four Marauders stopped and stared as she approached.

"Good luck buddy," Peter, Remus, and Sirius all whispered as they walked down the hall where Jill was coming from. They tried to keep a safe distance from her but she paid them no attention. She only had eyes for James.

"Jill," James said, smiling cautiously. "Hey, what's going on?"

Jill's face was unwavering as she glared at James. Her nostrils flared with every breath. And if looks could kill, James would've been dead on the floor two minutes ago.

"So, uh, what brings you to this particular hall?" James asked, rocking back and forth on his heels. Jill continued to stare at James as if expecting him to say something. James, on the other hand, couldn't look at Jill in the eyes and didn't know what else to say.

The two stood facing each other with Jill glared daggers and James staring at his feet.

"So, uh, are you going to say something?" James asked, not being able to take the silence anymore.

"How was detention?" Jill asked, a smile on her face but her eyes still cold.

"Uh," James stuttered. That wasn't the question he was expecting. "It was fine, I guess. We, uh, we passed."

"You and Lily? Lily and you passed?" Jill asked. "Congratulations."

"Aw shit," James muttered, preparing himself for what was coming.

"'Aw shit' is right," Jill repeated, her fake smile gone. She took a step closer to James and poked him hard in the chest. "What is wrong with you? What were you thinking?"

"All I did was forget," James feebly protested.

"No. You don't forget James. That's not who you are. And if you did forget that would make it so much worse because no one forgets about me. You stood me up. You stood me up and knew about it. You broke a promise to me. I can't stand it when people break promises to me."

"I know, I'm sorry," James said, still not able to look Jill in the eye.

"What sucks the most is that I trusted you, I did so much for you and this is how you repay me."

James couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Don't you think you're blowing this a little out of proportion, Lily?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he silently cursed himself. He lifted his head to look at Jill who seemed stunned into silence.

"I would've taken you back," Jill said when she found her voice. "But now I realize I should've let you fall off your broom that day." Jill stalked past James, shoving him painfully in the arm.

James let himself sage against the wall as Jill rounded the corner, leaving his sight.

"Why does she have to ruin everything?" James said through clenched teeth and as he stood up straight. On the last word he punched the stone wall with all his might.

James left the hall with a string of curses on his lips and trying to ignore his throbbing hand.

* * *

"Wow, you really know how to mess up a hand," Sirius commented as he peered at James' hand in the iced water pitcher.

It was lunch break and James had already told his three best mates about what had happened with Jill.

"Why don't you go to see Madame Pomfrey?" Remus asked. "That way you don't have to walk around with your hand in a pitcher."

"Maybe I want to walk around with my hand in freezing cold water," James snapped. He was in a bad mood after his morning.

"Hey, it's not our fault you screwed up and got your hand broken so don't snap at us," Sirius retorted.

James just glared back and then turned back to his food.

"So did Jill do anything at all to you?" Peter asked after an awkward moment of silence.

"No, she just walked away," James replied as he tested his fingers by flexing them. He winced in pain and stopped testing. "I don't think she's going to ever talk to me again."

"She might kill Lily though," Sirius laughed, glancing at James to see how he'd respond. James just smirked.

"Yeah right. Jill won't even get close to Lily," James said.

"Really? You think so? Jill's tough. Lily might put up a bit of a fight but there's no way she'll win. Jill would beat her anytime, every day," Sirius argued.

"Who cares how tough Jill is? Lily's got spunk. She's proved over and over again that she doesn't need any knight in shining armor."

"Spunk? What does spunk got to do with a fight? Sometimes it's a bad thing and for Lily it'll be that she keeps getting up to get knocked back down. She doesn't know when to quit."

"Jill might win a couple of battles but Lily will win the war. She has the brain. After one battle, she'll know all of Jill's weaknesses and exploit them. Lily's got it all, she's smart," James drifted off as he stared at his purple hand in the pitcher.

Sirius, Peter, and Remus all cast sidelong looks at each other.

"Thank god he's not still going out with Jill," Remus mouthed. Sirius and Peter nodded fervently.


End file.
